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In the times that we’re living in, technology has made unbelievable advancement as compared to any time in the past. This evolution has redefined the life of man on almost every aspect. In fact, this evolution is an ongoing process and thus, human life on earth is improving constantly day in and day out. One of the latest inclusions in this aspect is cryptocurrencies.

Cryptocurrency is nothing but digital currency, which has been designed to impose security and anonymity in online monetary transactions. It uses cryptographic encryption to both generate currency and verify transactions. The new coins are created by a process called mining, whereas the transactions are recorded in a public ledger, which is called the Transaction Block Chain.

Little backtrack

Evolution of cryptocurrency is mainly attributed to the virtual world of the web and involves the procedure of transforming legible information into a code, which is almost uncrackable. Thus, it becomes easier to track purchases and transfers involving the currency. Cryptography, since its introduction in the WWII to secure communication, has evolved in this digital age, blending with mathematical theories and computer science. Thus, it is now used to secure not only communication and information but also money transfers across the virtual web.

How to use cryptocurrency

It is very easy for the ordinary people to make use of this digital currency. Just follow the steps given below:

You need a digital wallet (obviously, to store the currency)

Make use of the wallet to create unique public addresses (this enables you to receive the currency)

Use the public addresses to transfer funds in or out of the wallet

Cryptocurrency wallets

A cryptocurrency wallet is nothing else than a software program, which is capable to store both private and public keys. In addition to that, it can also interact with different blockchains, so that the users can send and receive digital currency and also keep a track on their balance.

The way the digital wallets work

In contrast to the conventional wallets that we carry in our pockets, digital wallets do not store currency. In fact, the concept of blockchain has been so smartly blended with cryptocurrency that the currencies never get stored at a particular location. Nor do they exist anywhere in hard cash or physical form. Only the records of your transactions are stored in the blockchain and nothing else.

A real-life example

Suppose, a friend sends you some digital currency, say in form of bitcoin. What this friend does is he transfers the ownership of the coins to the address of your wallet. Now, when you want to use that money, you’ve unlock the fund.

In order to unlock the fund, you need to match the private key in your wallet with the public address that the coins are assigned to. Only when both these private and public addresses match, your account will be credited and the balance in your wallet will swell. Simultaneously, the balance of the sender of the digital currency will decrease. In transactions related to digital currency, the actual exchange of physical coins never take place at any instance.

Understanding the cryptocurrency address

By nature, it is a public address with a unique string of characters. This enables a user or owner of a digital wallet to receive cryptocurrency from others. Each public address, that is generated, has a matching private address. This automatic match proves or establishes the ownership of a public address. As a more practical analogy, you may consider a public cryptocurrency address as your eMail address to which others can send emails. The emails are the currency that people send you.

Understanding the latest version of technology, in form of cryptocurrency is not tough. One needs a little interest and spend time on the net to get the basics clear.

Never thought about it, right? It’s time to think because in this post we are going to provide you a four-step guide on creating your own cryptocurrency. Read through the post, and then see whether you can do it for yourself or not!

Step 1 – Community
No, you don’t have to build a community like you do when you plan to rule social media. The game is a little different here. You need to find a community of people that you think would buy your currency.

Once you identify a community, it becomes easier for you to cater to their needs and therefore you can work towards building a stable cryptocurrency rather than going haywire with what you want to achieve.

Remember, you are not here to be a part of the spectator sport – you are in it to win it. And, having a community of people who would want to invest in your currency is the best way to do it!

Step 2 – Code
The second important step is to code. You don’t necessarily have to be a master coder to create your own cryptocurrency. There are plenty of open source codes available out there which you can use.

You can even go ahead and hire professionals who can do the job for you. But when coding, do remember one thing – blatant copying is not going to lead you anywhere.

You need to bring some uniqueness in your currency to distinguish it from the ones that already exist. It has to be innovative enough to create ripples in the market. This is the reason just copying the code is not enough to be on top of the cryptocurrency game.

Step 3 – Miners
The third, and the most important step in the process is to get some miners on board who will actually mine your cryptocurrency.

What this means is that you need to have a certain set of people associated with you who can actually spread the word about your currency in the market. You need to have people who can raise awareness about your currency.

This will give you a head start. And, as they say – well begun is half done; miners can eventually lay the foundation of a successfully voyage for your cryptocurrency in the ever growing competition.

Step 4 – Marketing
Last thing you need to do as part of the job here is to connect with merchants who will eventually trade the virtual coins that you have built.

In simpler words, you need to market these coins in the battleground where real people would actually be interested to invest in them. And, this by no means is an easy feat.

You need to win their confidence by letting them know that you have something worthy to offer.

How can you begin with it? The best way to market your coins initially is to identify the target audience who knows what cryptocurrency is.

After all, there is no point in trying to market your stuff to people who don’t even know what cryptocurrency is.

Conclusion

So, you can see that building a successful cryptocurrency is more about having the awareness about market trends, and less about being a hardcore techie or an avant-garde coder.

If you have that awareness in you, then it is time to make a heyday while the sun shines in the cryptocurrency niche. Go ahead and plan building your own cryptocurrency by following these simple steps and see how it turns out for you!

Everywhere, you see headlines with impressive thousand percent gains for “coins” like bitcoin. But what gives them value? When have you ever used bitcoin?

The truth is that it’s not practical right now, primarily due to the amount of time it takes to complete a transaction. But there are other coins out there that are emerging as viable candidates to succeed bitcoin as the No. 1 cryptocurrency.

There’s a lot to understand about the intricacies of cryptocurrencies, but this article is more about finding an investment opportunity than explaining the science behind them.

A Bubble in Bitcoin?

One thing that’s important to know is the concept of “mining.” This is the very basis of cryptocurrencies. That’s how new bitcoins are made.

In simple terms, the “miner,” through special software, solves a complex math problem and is rewarded with new bitcoins as a result. Then, the transaction is stored in the blockchain, and those new bitcoins are officially in circulation.

As more bitcoins are in circulation, mining them becomes more complicated and time-consuming, and less profitable. So even though about 80% of possible bitcoins are in circulation right now, the last one won’t be mined until 2140.

As most people know by now, bitcoin has seen a gigantic rally this year. In fact, it’s up about 1,200% over the past year, causing a lot of people to think it’s in a bubble.

The total value of bitcoins in circulation is now over $150 billion. If bitcoin was a company, it would be in the top 50 largest in the United States.

I personally believe that the only reason bitcoin is so much more valuable than any other cryptocurrency is because it was the one that first broke through to the mainstream. That’s still important, though. It, at the very least, gives other coin developers something to improve on.

The good thing is that even if you think you’ve missed the boat with bitcoin, there are plenty of other cryptocurrencies out there. Of course, some are scams, but others have real potential.

One of the ones that I believe has real, practical use is called Dash.

Dash: Digital Cash

First, Dash is ahead of the game in terms of convenience. Right now, bitcoin transactions take about 10 minutes to an hour on average. Dash is setting out to be the primary cryptocurrency that can be transferred instantly (in less than one second) between parties, making it much more practical when it comes to buying things online or at a store.

One of the most appealing features of Dash is that 10% of the newly mined coins are given to the Dash DAO (decentralized autonomous organization). Simply put, the DAO is the treasury of Dash. At the current price of more than $600 per coin, that’s $4 million per month that it can use.

It’s important to know that no other coin has this kind of continuous funding. With this money, the Dash DAO can develop and market the currency.

Also, anyone can submit an idea for a project to enhance the value of Dash. Then, the project is voted on by thousands of Dash developers. An example would be partnering with stores to make Dash a viable means of transaction for their goods.

Of course, these developers make money from Dash, so anything that benefits and promotes the currency will be enticing.

This creates a circular effect, where the currency appreciates in price because it’s better funded and marketed, then the DAO makes more money, and it’s able to market Dash even more.

A Breakthrough for Dash

So far, Dash can be used at over 300 physical stores and over 100 websites to purchase goods or services. But the breakthrough for it could come from the marijuana industry.

Right now, banks are not allowed to have anything to do with marijuana transactions; everything has to be done in cash. Vendors can’t even put money from their sales in a bank.

Not only does this bring the risk of being robbed, but these companies have to pay for cash storage and transportation. That adds up quickly.

Being able to use Dash would be huge for these vendors. It would also mean great things for the price of Dash.

The good news is that it has already started making progress. In April, Dash partnered with a digital payment system called Alt Thirty Six, which has partnerships with some of the leading dispensary business management software companies in the country.

These software companies track transactions for hundreds of dispensaries and delivery services. That means that Dash users already have hundreds of ways to use the currency.

Since Dash officially became a payment method on Alt Thirty Six on October 11, its price has gone up 118%. That’s only in a month and a half.

Just the Beginning

With a market cap of only $4.8 billion compared to bitcoin’s $156 billion, I believe Dash still has plenty of room to climb going forward.

The marijuana industry is just the start for Dash, but it’s a great one. In 2016, legal sales were about $7 billion. Another estimated $46 billion was sold on the black market.

And as more stores open and marijuana becomes legal in more states, that legal number is expected to be $23 billion by 2021 and $50 billion by 2026.

Again, this is just the beginning for Dash. Its unique immediate transaction feature makes it a viable alternative to cash, giving it an edge over other cryptocurrencies like bitcoin.